Dishwasher



A. W. SMITH DISHWASHER June 17, 1930.

Fiied May 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 17, 1930. A ,w sMlTH 1,763,992

DISHWASHER Filed May 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet v2 Patented Junev 17, 19730 UNITED -s'm'rlais-A .ALBERT -WOODALL SMITH, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO DIsHwAsHER.

appiimon mea'xay 14, 1927. sum1 No. 191,438. l

This invention relates'to improvements in scouring and cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to such as are especially adapted for the cleansing of dishes and like articles.

Among the objects in view, is the .eifective and -relatively rapid cleansing of dishes and like articles, by means of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction.

A further-object is the direction of cleansing streams against the objects to be cleaned in spiral paths or paths' covering adjacent areas, with a minimum amount of lapping ofsuch paths.

With these and' further objects in view, as

l5 will in part hereinafter be stated, and in part f become apparent, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of speciied and claimed.

V In theaccompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central section through a structure embodying features of the present invention, parts being seen in elevation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken -away for disclosing interior structure. Y

Figure 3 is anV inverted plan.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged detailed views, in sectional 'elevation and sectional appropriate legs or other suitableframing 2,

' mounted oncasters 35-3 to facilitate bodil positioning of the complete machine. sleeve 4 extends through and is fixed to the bottom of the housing 1 as by a rivet 'flange 5; Ihreaded intothe upper end of the sleeve 4 1s a tubular standard 6 which upstands centr'ally`- of and within the housing 1. Theparts as subsequently sleeve 4 is formedwith an annular shoulder 7 on which rests the bottom of a foraminous receptacle 8 arranged to surround the portion of sleeve 4 extending beyond the shoulder 7. A nut 9 is threaded on to said extended portion or sleeve 4 to clamp the bottom of the receptacle 8 against the shoulder 7 so that the tubular standard 6, screen orforaminous receptacle 8, sleeve 4 and body 1 are rigidly connected against relative movement in re. spectto each other.

Extending throughout the length and within the standard 6 and also *throughoutv the length of the sleeve 4 and beyond the sleeve downwardly and beyond the standard 6 upwardl is a driving shaft 10, the lower portion belbw thesleeve 4 xedly carrying a gear wheel 11 meshing with a pinion 12 driven by an electric motor 13 or other appropriate power means. Bearing sleeves 14-14 are arranged for the shaft 10, between the shaft and the4 sleeve 4 and between lthe shaft and the standard'6 for retaining the parts in their lproperrelative relation and allowing free rotation of the shaft 10. The upper end portion ofthe shaft 10 extending beyond the standard 6 is provided with a cross ,pin 15 and an annulus 17 surrounds the said upper ,l

end and is loosely fitted thereon and is notched at 18-18 to accommodate the out. standing end portions of the pin 15 andto cause the pin to deliver torsional stress to Vthe annulus 17 to rotate the same. during operation. Fixed to or formed integral with the annulus 17 isa sleeve 19 which extends downwardly from the ,annulus to a point just above the strainer or foraminous receptacle 8. A' supporting plate 20, preferably in the form of a disc is arranged just above the strainer 8 and centrally apertured to accommodate the extension ofthe sleeve 19 therethrough. The disc or late 20 is preferabl formed with an interna ly threaded upstand) ing axial annular boss 21 threaded onto the lower portion ofthe sleeve 19 so as to'cause' the plate 2,0 to rotate with the sleeve when the sleeve is driven by rotation of the shaft 10. The housing 1 is cylindrical and a cylindrical open workl wire basket indicated at 25 is v adapted to be arranged just inside the housing as a retainer for the dishes or like articles sustained by the plate 20. Said plate 20 is provided with an upstandin annular marginal flange 22 and the wire asket may bel constructed to fit just within the flange to rotate with the plate 20 and its actuating parts. j

A brush 23 is connected to, and carried by lthe under portion of the plate 20 and arranged with its bristles contacting the inward surface of .the upstanding annular wall of the screening receptacle 8, so as to continuously sweep. the same and prevent clogging by accumulation of solids.- Beneath the' -screen 8, and between the same and the bottom of the housing 1 is a space 24 constituting a sump for the collection of the detergent fluid which gravitatesv thereto from the dishes upon which it is sprayed.

Outstanding laterally from and extending longitudinally of the housing 1 is a channel casing 26 communicating laterall directly with the housing 1. Extending ongitudi-i ed at 31 to a bracket either fixed directly to the housing 1 orto a part of the sleeve 4. A

link 32 pivotally enga es the long arm of the lever at one en and at its opposite end is swiveled toa wrist pin outstanding from the gear wheel 33. The gear wheel 33 is rotatively carried b a bracket 33n extending from the iange o sleeve4. The gear 33 meshes with a pinion 35 carried by and fixed j to the Vshaft'lO so that as the shaft is rotated by a motor 13, the bell crank 30 will be rocked or oscillated, andthe link 29 will be reci ro cated longitudinally, vertically. l It wil be observed that the gearing from motor 13 to shaft 10 is a substanial step downward, that 1s to say, the speed is very substantially reduced in the rotation of the shaft 10 compared with the rotation of the amature of lmotor 13. Pinion 35 and gear 36 are ratioed to further step down the speed gf movement so that the'reciprocations of the link 29 are comparatively very slow.

It is to be noted that while the gear 33 rotates about a vertical axis and therefore moves in horizontal planes, the link 32 delivers motion from the gear to the bell crank lever 30 which bell crank lever is mounted to swing verticall and the direction of movement is there ore changed so that the ,link 29 is 'reciprocated` verticall The. earing ratio between the gears 35 and 33 is'such as to cause both a slow movement of the nozzles 28, and such a movement one in re relative to the speed of rotation of the plates 20 and parts carried thereby, that the streams played upon said carried parts from the nozzles 28 are delivered not only in a gyrating or elliptical or otherwise shaped path, but

pipe 35 communicating with the sump 24and a discharge pipe 36 communicating with a lower in-take end of the pipe 27. A reliable source of detergent materlalunder pressure is thus assured.

In operation, the dishes to be cleansed are placed on the disc or plate 20vand under certain conditions, that maybe said to be usual conditions, the openwork or wire mesh basket 25 may be employed for retainingfthe dishes or other articles to be cleansed in proper position during the operation. The motor 13 is then turned on and as the pile or stack of dishes begins to rotate, the action of the pump assures a delivery of as many streams onto the dishes as there are enozzles 28. The relatively slow playing of the nozzles 28 up and down against a slowly rotating object ycauses the path of impact to vary constantly. Thus the movement of the nozzles causes the delivery of streams of water in different or constantl var g planes, whereas rotation ofthe stac .of 'shes causes the peripheral area of such dishes to-be presented toward the on-coming sprays and such presentation continues to advance in paths at right anglesk to the path of l the streams from the4 jets so that the vertical swinging or oscillatory movements of the jets causes the delivered streams to contact with the dishes in paths o f sinusoidal form,as indicated in Figures 6 and 7. The ratio of the ears which drive the shaft 10 to the ratio of t e gears which oscillate the nozzles 28 is such that the paths of impact from given nozzles lap only to a minimum extent as illustrated in Fig. 7 during the coursel o frotation of the stack of dishes, but there is a lag of ect to the other such that after a circle has n completed by a given jet about a stack of dishes, the jet starts the secondsecond circle 41 being'described about the stack of dishes will have its hills and valleys off-set slightly relative to those of the first, and so on, asv indicated in Figure 7, until sent the path, if the particular nozzle were held stationary and it will be understood that the degree of angular advance or retardation of one path relative to the next inisuccessive rotations of the stack of dishes-will be only such as will be fully Covered by the spray of the jet so that while the paths themselves -arenot directly overlaid one with respect to the other, the margins of the sprays will lap and thus cover the entire area of surfaces of the stack of dishes inthe' course ofV successive revolutions. Y

It isto be observed that the bell crank lever 30 instead of being that of the ordinary type vwith both arms inY the same vertical plane,

has its short arm 30b spaced from the long arm so that while the long arm extends atthe outside of the casingv 26, the short arm is arranged within the casing to engage and ac-V tuate the 29 as above described. Said arms of bell crank lever 30 are connected by a Vrock shaft 31 which in eiect, forms part' of the/bell crank lever. Said rock' shaft 31 is journaled in a bearing 30 extending through the wallofthe-casing 26. AA packing gland may be utilized (not shown) if desired about the shaft 30', but since the cleansing` iiuid descending on and about the dishes will find its way chieiiydown through the screen 8 and into the sump 24, there is no substantial dan ger of leakage along the shaft 31, even without the precaution of the packing gland.

' The housing 1 is preferably provided with any a propriate removable cover 3Q which is pre erably employed while the machine is in operation, but may be readily removed for.

access tothe contents of the housing 1,-or for changing the housing. Y E

AA preferred meth d .ofv procedure'involves the removal of the cover 36 and the lifting of the sleeve 19 vertically out. of the housing 1 v Ywith the parts. The basket 25 will prefer- Y ably be made in two or more sections that may constitute compartments for holding the dishes. Two of the compartmentsk may be `used for dishes proper and-one of them for cups o'r any simllar special forms of dishes, though all of this is not material to the invention- The basketlcompartments Vor 'sections for the dishes will be provided with inclined partitions so that the dishes may rest in in! clined positions when they are disposed ready for cleansing. When the cover 36 is removed the sleeve 19 may be .raised with the parts connected thereto, including the plate 20, reticule or basket 25 and -annulus 17.

- Thestandard 6 Yserves as a guide for the sleeve 19, and therefore for the balance of the parts, and when the annulus 17 comes to rest on the upper end of the standard 6 with the notches 18 the progectmg ends of the pin 15, the machine will-be in condition for operation. The operator merely Y turns on the current for the motor 13 and the cleansing operation proceeds as above indicated.V Any preferred liquid'detergent mayV be utilized, and of course, the dishes may bel rinsed-by a similar operation if desired, but such rinsing ofcourse, would involve theremoval of the detergent contents of the-heus# f' ing 1, and the supplying of rinsing water.

An appropriately valved discharge opening indicated at 39' maybe provided for the liquid consump 24 to facilitatev change 'of tents of the apparatus. Y .A

An important feature 'of the present invention is the ease andfacility of removal and replacementI of charges or stacks of dishes K 'or like articles to be cleansed, and incident to such arrangement, facility for access to and ,n

said support, and means operated in timed l relation with the rotation of the support for oscillating the jet. A

2. In cleansing apparatus, the combination, with a substantially annular housing, of a power shaft extending substantially axially of said housing, a disc removably arranged within the housing and detachably connected to receive power from the shaft, said disc' being adapted to sustain a stack of articles to be cleansed, means for directing cleansing fluid laterally against such stack, a strainer beneath said disc, means for delivering fluid f passing said strainer to said cleansin fluid directing means, and means carried disc for cleansing said strainer.

3. In cleansing apparatus, the combination, of a support for articles to be cleansed, means for rotating said support, and means for circulating cleansing fluid past and in contact with articles carried by said support including laterally disposed ntmzles, .and means actuated from the power source for oscillating said nozzles.

4. In cleansing a paratus, the combination, with a housing, o a rotary support therein for sustaining articles to be cleansed, a cleansy the articles so supported, nozzles pivotally communicating with the said supplepipe and directed toward such articles to cleansed and power means arranged beneath said housing, and connected to rotate said support and to oscilljate said nozzles. f

5. In cleansing apparatus, the combination, A with a housing, a support therein for; articles to be cleansed, pivotally mounted nozzles arranged within the housing and disposed for directing cleansing Huid laterally against articles sustained by said support, a bell crank lever arranged with rone of its arms within the housingand one of its 'arms outside the housing, means connecting the inner arm to oscillate said nozzles, and means .exteriorly of the housing for oscillating the outer arm of said lbell crank lever. 6. In an article cleansing apparatus, rotatable -supporting means for the articles, jet directing means oscillatingly, mounted Vat one side of the support, means for rotating the article supportin means, and means for os- `cil1ating the-jet irecting means in a plane lother than one perpendicular to the support ing means axis, said rotating means and oscillating means having a commondrive, said drive including gearing whose ratio is other than an integer such that each succeedin path of the jet on the articles to be cleanse will bear an angularly spaced relation to the preceding path in each rotation of the supporting means. In testimon whereof I ax my signature. l ALB RT WOODALL SMITH. 

